The charge that has been filed against me today is wrong and
unprecedented. I have been singled out as the only person in the
oil and gas industry in over 110 years since the Sherman Act
became law to have been accused of this crime in relation to
joint bidding on leasehold. Anyone who knows me, my business
record and the industry in which I have worked for 35 years,
knows that I could not be guilty of violating any antitrust laws.
All my life I have worked to create jobs in Oklahoma, grow its
economy, and to provide abundant and affordable energy to all
Americans. I am proud of my track record in this industry, and I
will fight to prove my innocence and to clear my name.

McClendon, who founded Chesapeake in 1989, left it in 2013 with
no shortage of controversy. It was the result of a 2012 Reuters
investigation alleging conflict of interest at the country's
second-largest natural-gas producer. The company did an internal
investigation of its Founder Well Participation Program, which
granted McClendon exclusive rights to company wells. The program
was eventually suspended, but the business said that it found no
misconduct.

McClendon went on to found and become CEO of American Energy
Partners. Upon finding out that he passed away on Wednesday
Pickens said that McClendon was a
"true American entrepeneur."

“I’ve known Aubrey McClendon for nearly 25 years. He was a major
player in leading the stunning energy renaissance in America. He
was charismatic and a true American entrepreneur. No individual
is without flaws, but his impact on American energy will be
long-lasting," Pickens said in a statement on his website.

The company said in a statement:

Aubrey's tremendous leadership, vision, and passion for the
energy industry had an impact on the community, the country, and
the world. We are tremendously proud of his legacy and will
continue to work hard to live up to the unmatched standards he
set for excellence and integrity.

That aside, McClendon lived incredibly well. He was the best paid
CEO in America in 2008. His collection of vintage Texas and
Oklahoma maps are worth $12 million, and he owned a portion of
the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team. There's a dorm at
Duke, his alma mater, named after him.

A local Oklahoma news station has footage from the scene of the
crash: